Israeli Bluntly Saying to the World:

Israeli Bluntly Saying to the World:

On March 25, 2008, it was published on the website of the Israeli daily newspaper 'New Day' (Yoom Khadash) that the Jewish Group 'United Torah supports the Israeli Governments' decision to develop construction in the settlement of Beitar Illit, south-west of Bethlehem city. Adding, construction will include 800 new housing units in the settlement under what it calls 'Settlement's developing Project'. 

 

Beitar Illit settlements stands on a total land area of 4685 dunums of land originally confiscated from Husan, Nahalin and Wad Fukin villages in year 1985. See Table 1,

Table 1: Palestinian Lands confiscated for the construction of Betar Illit Settlement.

Betar Illit
Settlement

Confiscated Area (Dunums)

Palestinian Community

Total Land Area = Area of Settlement (dunums)

3431

Husan

4686

567

Wad Fukin

688

Nahalin

Source: ARIJ GIS Database – 2008

 

In addition to being identified as the fastest growing settlement in the West Bank; Betar Illit settlement is considered one of the largest Israeli settlements in the West Bank in terms of Area and is inhabited by almost 35000 Israeli settlers. Throughout the previous years, the Settlement witnessed vertical expansion through the addition of new housing units that were either published by the Israeli Civil Administration or The Israeli Ministry of Housing and Construction in an attempt to intensify its existence within Gush Etzion settlements' bloc, which is under plans to become part of 'Greater Jerusalem'. See Table 2,

 

Table 2: Israeli Tenders to build housing units in Betar Illit Settlement southwest of Bethlehem city during the period between 2004 & 2008

Settlement

No. ofHousing Units

Announcement Date

BetarIllit

604

17-Aug-04

500

25-Feb-05

400

20-Jun-05

72

4-Aug-05

150

26-Jan-05

2000

18-Jan-06

342

4-Sep-06

32

17-Mar-08

Total

4100

 

Source: ARIJ GIS Database – 2008

In addition to the aforementioned, the settlement witnessed horizontal expansion that was on the expense of the neighboring Palestinian villages (See Table 1) which contributed much to an increase in settlement's area throughout the years of Israeli occupation, hence the settlement of Betar Illit original  in 1985 (150 dunums) has increased by 3000%. See Table 3,

 

Table 3: Betar Illit Settlement throughout the years of Israeli Occupation

Year of Establishment 1985
Area : 150 Dunums

Settlement

Year

Area (Dunum)

PercentofIncrease

BetarIllit

1997

1389

826% of 1985

2003

4187

 

201% from 1997

 

2006

4685

12% of 2003

Source: ARIJ GIS Database – 2008

 

Map 1: Betar Illit Settlement in 1997

Map 2: Betar Illit Settlement in 2003

 


Map 3: Betar Illit Settlement in 2006

 

 

 

 

Betar Illit Settlement and the Israeli Segregation Wall Plan

 

When Israel commenced the construction of the Segregation Wall in June 2002, it aimed at annexing the largest number of Israeli settlements to Israel upholding its fake claim that the wall comes to provide security for settlements and settlers living in them. The focus was on Jerusalem city where Israel, through the construction of the wall, could actually redraw the borders of the city to include the largest Israeli settlements' blocs around the city (Ma'ale Adumim Settlements' Bloc., Giv'at Ze'ev Settlements' Bloc, and Gush Etzion Settlements' Bloc, which includes Betar Illit Settlement in addition to 10 other Israeli settlements under what it calls 'Greater Jerusalem Project'. At the same time, the Segregation Wall will exclude 15 Palestinian communities out of the city's municipal borders, depriving them their agricultural lands and denying them their right to expand and develop.  

 

 

 

'Greater Jerusalem' as a concept started to develop during the late 1970s early 1980s, when the Israeli government expanded the area of settlements' construction outside the Israeli defined Jerusalem municipal boundary in order to create facts on the ground with settlements' continuity around Jerusalem and cut the territorial continuity of East Jerusalem with the rest of the West Bank, all of which to increase Jewish population around Jerusalem and impose Jewish demographic supremacy that would strengthen the hold on Jerusalem.

 

 

 

New Israeli Housing Units in West Bank Settlements

 

The Israeli Ministry of Housing and Construction, and the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem revealed since the beginning of 2008 dozens of tenders and plans for additional housing units in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, out of which, five are located in East Jerusalem, five others in Bethlehem Governorate, two in Salfit and in Qalqilyah. See Table 4 for tenders that were issued during the last months

 

 

 

No.

Table 4: Israeli Tenders in settlements of the West Bank

Settlement

No. of Housing Units

Announcing Party

Date of Announcement

Governorate

1 Ash Shiekh Jarrah 200 Nahalat Shim'on January 28, 2008 Bethlehem

2

Har Homa

360

Ministry of Housing and Construction

February 12, 2008

Bethlehem

3

Pisgat Ze'ev

750

Ministry of Housing and Construction

February 12, 2008

Jerusalem

4

Neve Yakoov

400

Jerusalem Municipality

March 10, 2008

Jerusalem

5

Pisgat Ze'ev

750

Ministry of Housing and Construction

March 10, 2008

Jerusalem

6

Agan Ayalot, Giv'at Ze'ev

750

Israeli Prime Minister

March 10, 2008

Jerusalem

7

Har Homa

350

Ministry of Housing and Construction

March 10, 2008

Bethlehem

8

Ma'ale Adumim

52

Ministry of Housing and Construction

March 10, 2008

Jerusalem

9

Ariel

48

Israeli Authorities

March 10, 2008

Salfit

10

Elkana

288

Ministry of Housing and Construction

March 12, 2008

Qalqilyiah

11

Kedmat Zion

800

Israeli Shas Party

March 12, 2008

Jerusalem

12

Ma'ale Adumim

89

Israeli Authorities

March 13, 2008

Jerusalem

13

Giv'at Hamatos

2337

Building and Planning committee at Jerusalem Municipality

March 15, 2008

Jerusalem

14

Betar Illit

32

Israeli Authorities

March 17, 2008

Bethlehem

15

Sha'ar Tekvah

32

Israeli Authorities

March 17, 2008

Qalqilyiah

16

Elkana

32

Israeli Authorities

March 17, 2008

Salfit

17

Ele'zer

80

Israeli Minister of Defense

March 23, 2008

Bethlehem

18

Pisgat Ze'ev

600

Jerusalem Municipality

March 30, 2008

Bethlehem

19

Ras Al Amoud (Ma'ale David)

110

Jerusalem Municipality

April 20, 2008

 

20

Gilo

150

Jerusalem Municipality

May 12, 2008

 

 

Total

8210

 

 

 

 

Source: ARIJ Monthly Reports Database � 2008

 

 

 

 

 

Below is a brief on each settlement that received new housing units' tenders and the lands that were confiscated from Palestinian communities for the construction of these settlements.

 

 

 

Table 5: Israeli settlements targeted for Expansion
Settlement Name Palestinian Community Area of Land Confiscated Confiscated Area = Current Settlement Areadunum
Ash Shiekh Jarrah neighborhood in Jerusalem (French Hill): One of the first settlements that were established following Israel's occupation of Jerusalem in 1967. It was established on lands originally confiscate from lands of Al Esawiyeh. The Settlement stands on an area of 687 and is inhabited by 7010 Israeli settlers Esawiyeh 687 687
Giv'at Ze'ev: lies to the northwest of Jerusalem city, on an area of 2856 dunums originally confiscated from Betunia town and Al Jib village in 1982. Today, the settlement is inhabited by more that 10800 Israeli Settlers. Betunia 1240 2856
Al 1616
Harhoma settlement: lies to the south of Jerusalem city, on an area of 2205 dunums that were confiscated from lands of Beit Sahour and Bethlehem in 1997. The settlement is inhabited by 4604 Israeli settlers. Bethlehem 930

 

2205
BeitSahour 416
Jerusalem 859
Neve Yaakov:  lies to the north of Jerusalem city, on an area of 1241 dunums that were confiscated from the lands of Ar Ram, Hizma and Beit Hanina in 1972. The settlement is inhabited by 21404 Israeli settlers. Beit Hanina 525 1241
Hizma 505
ArRam 109
Ma'ale Adumim Settlement: lies to the east of Jerusalem city, on an area of 6621 dunums that was confiscated from lands of Al Esawiyeh, Al Ezariyeh, At Tur, Al Khan Al Ahmar, and Abu Dis in 1975. The settlement is inhabited by more than 32000 Israeli settlers. Isawiyeh   6621
Al Khan AlAhmar 932
Al Ezariyeh 3434
At Tur 703
AbuDis 1427
Giv'at Hamatos settlement: located to the south of Jerusalem city, on an area of 288 dunums that were confiscated from lands of Beit Safafa village in 1991. The settlement is inhabited by 1189 Israeli settlers. Beit Safafa 288 288
Elkana settlement: lies to the southeast of Qalqilyah city, on an area of 1514 dunums that were confiscated from lands of Mas-ha, Saniryia, and Az Zawyah in 1977. The settlement is inhabited by 3000 Israeli settlers. Saniryia 77 1514
Mas-ha 1414
AzZawiyeh 23
Ariel Settlement: lies to the north of Salfit city, on lands owned by villages of Kifl Hareth, Salfit, Marda and Iskaka in 1978. The settlement is inhabited by more than 16500 Israeli settlers KiflHareth 534 5184
Marda 3195
Iskaka 131
Salfit 1324
Pisgat Ze'ev settlement: lies to the north of Jerusalem city, on an area of 1545 dunums were confiscated from the lands of Hizma and Beit Hanina towns in 1985. Today, the settlement is inhabited by more than 41000 Israeli Settlers. BeitHanina 1152 1546
Hizma 148
Jerusalem 246
Betar Illit Settlement Husan 3431 4686
WadiFukin 567
Nahhalin 688
Sha'are Tekvah settlement: lies to the southeast of Qalqilyah city, on an area of 1063 dunums that were confiscated from lands of Saniryia and Mas-ha in 1982. The settlement is inhabited by more than 3800 Israeli settlers. Saniryia 755 1063
Mas-ha 308
Efrat Settlement: lies to southwest of Bethlehem city, on an area of 2180 dunums that were owned by villages of Al Khader and Artas villages in 1979. The settlement is inhabited by 7700 Israeli settlers. AlKhader 1709 2180
Artas 471
Eli'zer settlement: Lies to the southwest of Bethlehem city, on an area of 536 dunums that were originally confiscated from lands of Al Khader village in 1975. The settlement is inhabited by more than 1300 Israeli settlers. AlKhader 536 536
Total     30607

 

Source: ARIJ GIS Unit � 2008

 

 

 

 

 

To conclude:-

 

The nature of Israeli expansions in West Bank settlements took a different direction as it is more focused, or only focus on settlements included within the seam zone area (those located west of the Segregation Wall in the western Segregation Zone) with particular emphasis in those within the Greater Jerusalem whose boundary will be defined for a second time in an illegal manner by the Segregation Wall, which in its tern will act as a de-facto border for the future Israeli state.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prepared by 
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: Settlement Expansion